Alabama Crimson Tide

From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 67 and what it means to UA football.

Last season Eddie Lacy battled a turf toe injury to appear in 12 games for the Crimson Tide. The fleet-footed running back from Louisiana showed glimpses of his elusiveness and power with the ball, but couldn't find a level of consistency because of the injury. Still, Lacy averaged 67.1 total yards per game -- nothing to sneeze at for a sophomore learning to play as the No. 2 back behind Heisman Trophy finalist Trent Richarson.

Two years ago, Richardson was in a similar situation to Lacy, backing up a Heisman Trophy back in Mark Ingram. The next season, with Ingram in New Orleans playing for the Saints, Richardson blew up, rushing for 1,679 yards and averaging 160.2 all-purpose yards per game. Richardson saw the biggest increase in rushing yards per game (+65.6 yards per game, or an increase of 103.1 percent).

Whether Lacy will be able to double his production carrying the ball is up for debate. If he does follow on the same track as Richardson, Lacy would run for more than 115 yards per game in 2012. Should fans expect that? Maybe, maybe not. With a crowded backfield (see Jalston Fowler, T.J. Yeldon, Dee Hart and fall enrollee Kenyan Drake) and lingering questions about durability, don't expect Lacy to carry the ball 22 times a game like Richardson did last season.

However, the possibility still exists. Quarterback AJ McCarron has another year under his belt and will do more to command four and five defensive backs away from the line of scrimmage and the offensive line is poised to be one of the best in the SEC with five linemen with starting experience.

The most interesting and potentially controversial part of the four-team college football playoff it appears we are about to adopt is the selection committee. Who's on it? What will be their criteria? How transparent will the process be? What, ultimately, will be their foundation for impossible distinctions?

The Pac-12 blog has gone on and on about its "just because" concerns. That's the idea that if you have an 11-1 team from the SEC it will get an automatic bump over an 11-1 team from any other conference, even if there is evidence that it shouldn't.

So let's do a "what if" that blends reality and fiction.

What if LSU, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin had all finished unbeaten in 2011. And what if Oregon kicker Alejandro Maldonado's 37-yard field goal in the waning moments against USC was good, and the Ducks then prevailed over the Trojans in overtime.

Our question: Which 11-1 team, Oregon or Alabama, gets the No. 4 spot in a four-team playoff?

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The season is more than four months away, but University of Alabama coach Anthony Grant was ready to talk all things Crimson Tide basketball on Monday's SEC teleconference. Grant addressed the commitment of Devonta Pollard, the NBA hopes of JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell, and more. Here's what the coach entering his fourth season in Tuscaloosa had to say:

Opening statement: "We're excited about the upcoming season. I think we have a good group of guys returning to our team. We obviously lose a few key pieces: JaMychal Green, Tony Mitchell and the departure of Charles Hankerson to a transfer. But I think our guys that will be returning are looking forward to the challenge that our league will impose upon us. Obviously, it will be a new look to Texas A&M and Missouri coming into the league, playing 18 league games. I'm excited about the future of the SEC. I think we've got some very good teams, the potential for this year to be one of the best in quite a while is there. I think if you would poll coaches across the league, you'd hear consistently that this could be a banner year for our league in terms of numbers of teams that we could potentially get into the postseason."

On the commitment of Pollard: "Devonta is someone we've recruited for quite a while. Probably someone we recruited from the minute we started to recruit when I arrived. Certainly we feel like he has a chance to be a major player in our league and a big asset to our team. He brings a variety of things to our team, from his skill set in terms of his ability to score, to affect the game defensively, to play multiple positions. He's a great teammate. He has a high basketball I.Q. in terms of understanding what needs to go on in the course of a game. So, I've been really impressed getting to know him and his family over the course of recruiting him. Certainly for us, the big thing for me as we continue to build our program is that we add pieces that have an opportunity to come in and make significant contributions to our team. I think Devonta does that. He's the only guy that we signed this year, but certainly fills a need we have. We fill the needs for our program."

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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 68 and what it means to UA football.

In recruiting, you use every edge you have. That's why when the University of Alabama coaching staff sees a family tie, they build upon it. Such will be the case when current UA offensive lineman Isaac Luatua's brother, Tyler Luatua, ultimately makes his college decision.

Isaac, the hulking No. 68 on the offense line at 6-foot-2, 313 pounds, is entering his freshman season at the Capstone. The former top-20 guard on the ESPN 150, was one of four offensive linemen signed to the 2011 class. Tyler doesn't look much like his brother. The high school senior is taller and leaner than his older brother at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. Coach Nick Saban called the athlete from La Miranda, Calif., with a scholarship offer in late April. The coaching staff likes him as a tight end.

Alabama already has one pair of brothers on the roster in center Barrett Jones, and younger brother, Harrison Jones, who plays H-Back for the Tide. They're recruiting a third Jones son as well in Walker Jones, a 2013 linebacker from Tennessee. The coaching staff is also recruiting star 2012 signee Landon Collins' younger brother, Gerald Willis. Quarterback AJ McCarron's younger brother, Corey, is on the team at tight end.

There are also legacy players on the Alabama roster. Caleb Castille is the son of Alabama legend Simeon Castille, and Danny Woodson Jr. is the son of former UA quarterback Danny Woodson Sr. Saban and staff could add another familiar name in the 2014 class is they're able to sign Marlon Humphrey, the son of former UA running back Bobby Humphrey.

From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 69 and what it means to UA football.

When AJ McCarron hooked up with Marquis Maze for a 69-yard reception against the Tennessee Vols on Oct. 22, it was a "boom!" moment, a rare breakout play from an offense that leaned conservative for most of the season. The long reception ended in a field goal, and the play turned out to be the longest from the Alabama passing game all season.

As the Tide close in on two months until kickoff, one has to wonder whether the big play will return to the UA offense. McCarron is back for another year, and newly installed offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier has a reputation for a more open offense. Throw in an overhauled receiving corps, and the ingredients look to be on the table for a more potent passing game.

Bama fans need look no further than the quarterback McCarron replaced to get an idea of where the junior from Mobile, Ala., may be headed. Greg McElroy, the fiery competitor from Texas who is entering his second full season in the NFL, was in a similar position to McCarron when the Tide won the championship in 2009. McElroy managed the offense, averaging 179.1 yards per game in his first season as a starter. He was efficient, too, throwing 17 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Sound familiar? That's because McCarron's stat line was very similar last season: 15 touchdowns, five interceptions and 202.6 yards per game.

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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 70 and what it means to UA football.

Often athletics overshadow the real purpose of colleges like the University of Alabama. This past May, UA student-athletes did more than win on the playing field, they won in the classroom with more than 70 Crimson Tide athletes earning their degrees.

At least one member of Alabama's 19 sports walked across the stage during spring commencement. All-Americans Courtney Upshaw, Carson Tinker, Damion Square, DeMarcus DuBose, William Ming and Michael Williams were part of two BCS national football championships during their time at Alabama. All-American gymnast Rachel Terry, a two-time recipient of the NCAA Elite 89 Award, was a member of the back-to-back national championship teams during her UA tenure.

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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 71 and what it means to UA football.

A couple of days ago, the Countdown looked at the career of Barrett Jones. It's easy to marvel at the two-time All-American and Outland Trophy winner's willingness to try his hand starting at yet another position on the offensive line. Today, we'll turn our attention to the man responsible for the reshuffling, No. 71 on the University of Alabama roster, Cyrus Kouandjio.

Kouandjio came to Alabama in one of the stranger national signing day scenarios. The Maryland native stunned many by choosing Auburn early on Feb. 2, 2011. On the ESPN airwaves, he chose the rival Tigers over Alabama, where his brother was an underclassman on the football team. A change of heart followed for the consensus No. 1 offensive lineman in the country, though. After a firestorm of media coverage and speculation, Kouandjio took his time to think about his options and chose to come to Tuscaloosa, quietly faxing in his letter of intent.

In his freshman season at the Capstone, Kouandjio showed why his flip to Alabama was such a big deal. The 6-foot-6, 311-pound tackle played in the first eight games before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Tennessee. Through the first eight games, Alabama averaged roughly 230 yards rushing per contest. Fans got a taste of his talent protecting the quarterback's blind side and his ability to mow down defenders in the running game. He showed enough to earn himself a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 72 and what it means to UA football.

Last season, the University of Alabama defense did a number of things better than anyone else in the country. One of those was building a brick wall around every team's rushing game.

Despite facing some of the stiffest competition in the country, UA surrendered just 72.15 yards rushing per game. To give you an idea of how remarkable a number that is, consider this: The next closest, Florida State, gave up 10 yards rushing more per game. Only two times in the last decade has the drop off from No. 1 to No. 2 been that large.

UA allowed 2.43 yards per carry and a net rushing total of less than 1,000 yards in 13 games last season.

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The NCAA released its full academic progress rates Wednesday, and yet again each SEC football program is free from penalties after their academic performances.

The Academic Progress Rate (APR) measures the eligibility, retention and graduation of Division 1 student-athletes. It also serves as a predictor of graduation success. The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 academic years.

Teams scoring below 930 out of 1,000 can face penalties, such as scholarship reductions and restrictions on practice and competition.

Vanderbilt led the SEC with a multiyear APR of 978, while Florida and Missouri tied for second (972). Tennessee, which tied Arkansas for last in last year's APR (937), finished last in the SEC with an APR of 931.

The average APR for the SEC is 956, which is up from last year (955.4).

Note: This average doesn't include Missouri or Texas A&M because they weren't a part of the SEC for the last four years.

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From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down from 100 to 1 until Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 73 and what it means to UA football.

Less than two months ago, the University of Alabama mourned the loss of Billy Neighbors. The former offensive lineman that sported No. 73 for coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant, died at the age of 72.

Neighbors was a familiar name in the Alabama lexicon, a College Football Hall of Famer and successful businessman in nearby Huntsville, Ala. He was a member of Alabama's All-Century team and had an eight-year NFL career where he was selected twice to the All-Pro team.

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Here is the best of the 2012 NFTC one-on-ones featuring some of the nation's top recruits. Included are Reuben Foster, Laremy Tunsil, Alvin Kamara, Torrodney Prevot, Frank Herron, Eddie Vanderdoes, Ahmad Fulwood and Altee Tenpenny.